DRINKING WATER
Custom Tank Designs That Actively Manage PFAS Mass Transfer Zone (MTZ) — And Why It Matters More Than Ever
As utilities prepare for the pending 4-ppt PFAS drinking water MCL, many are discovering that legacy lead/lag designs—workhorses for decades when treating contaminants in the ppm and ppb range—simply are not optimized for the parts per trillion-level (ppt) precision PFAS demands.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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Utility Transformation — From WWTP To Reuse Facility
Facing state Department of Environmental Quality mandates, an Arizona wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) took on a large-scale expansion project and effluent-quality upgrade to become a state-of-the-art water reclamation facility.
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Water Industry Awards - Alliancing And Partnership Initiative Of The Year Submission
As an innovation-driven leak detection specialist, Ovarro’s research and development team works closely with utilities to develop best-in-class technologies. The Sheffield-based global company partnered with Anglian Water to develop a revolutionary remote leak detection device, Enigma3hyQ and cloud-based data platform, PrimeWeb.
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![MunicipalBldg]( "Water Meter Upgrade Delivers More Than Accurate Readings")
Water Meter Upgrade Delivers More Than Accurate ReadingsMunicipality benefits from guaranteed savings, reduced costs, and customer service accolades
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![Loprest Multi-cell.jpg]( "How Multi-Cell Pressure Filters Can Provide Big Benefits In The Right Places")
How Multi-Cell Pressure Filters Can Provide Big Benefits In The Right PlacesThe ability to treat drinking water both efficiently and to the highest standards is a necessity for municipal water utilities. In some instances, however, the backwash requirement of traditional pressure filter systems is more onerous than it needs to be. By comparison, the multi-cell pressure filter design is highly efficient because it generates its own backwash water source from the other operating cells.
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Game-Changing Technology For PFAS Reduction
Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the shortest and strongest chemical bonds, PFAS are a persistent problem once introduced into the environment. Activated carbon (AC) and ion exchange resin (IX) are two of the commonly used technologies to remove PFAS from groundwater and surface water.
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![getty-1304227387]( "The Hidden Dangers Of Faulty Equipment In Heavy Metal Testing")
The Hidden Dangers Of Faulty Equipment In Heavy Metal TestingIn an industry where accuracy and reliability are crucial, the impact of faulty equipment cannot be overstated. The frustration and risks associated with unreliable testing devices are real and significant.
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![Mag-Meters-and-Flow-Straighteners-blog-image-450x300]( "Electromagnetic Flow Meters, Flow Straighteners, And Vanes: Compatible Or Not?")
Electromagnetic Flow Meters, Flow Straighteners, And Vanes: Compatible Or Not?Those familiar with propeller flow meters are usually familiar with their common counterparts, flow straighteners and vanes. Implemented to reduce swirl in shorter straight-run applications, straighteners are a complementary instrument for agriculture, irrigation, and municipal flow measurement applications.
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![Project_Brief-Steubenville]( "The Insta-Valve 250 Puts A Stop To A Month-Long Water Loss Of 150 GPM")
The Insta-Valve 250 Puts A Stop To A Month-Long Water Loss Of 150 GPMHydra-Stop’s solution allowed a targeted shutdown to stop a massive and costly water loss.
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![1154648139_Manaus]( "AEGEA Implements A Digital Twin At Manaus' São Jorge District To Improve Water Quality And Asset Management Decisions")
AEGEA Implements A Digital Twin At Manaus' São Jorge District To Improve Water Quality And Asset Management DecisionsDiscover how OpenFlows WaterSight helped a Brazilian utility improve leak detection and optimize operational workflows.
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![GettyImages-511920088_450_300]( "Arsenic Removal Technologies Pros And Cons")
Arsenic Removal Technologies Pros And ConsArsenic removal is theoretically simple but small community water systems often struggle to find the right solution. This article compares three prominent arsenic removal technologies.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Optimizing Brine Flow In A Geothermal Power Plant1/27/2022
Different flow meter technologies were used in this geothermal power plant to monitor and measure brine. However, these traditional technologies failed. That’s where Panametrics PT900 Portable Ultrasonic Flowmeter was able to help.
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FLEX-TEND® Flexible Expansion Joints, Features And Specifications12/3/2020
FLEX-TEND® flexible expansion joints are designed to protect structures and pipelines from differential movement whether this movement is earthquake induced or the gradual motion of soil subsidence. This bulletin offers a concise listing and discussion of the important features and materials of the double and single ball assemblies.
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Application Note: Ozone Measurement In Potable Water3/1/2010
Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that can be used to destroy the organic compounds that affect the taste and odor of potable water. Environmental concerns have led to increased use of ozone because, unlike chlorine, it does not form hazardous by-products.
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VFD Energy Savings For Pumping Applications4/6/2017
In the early days of variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, the typical application was in process control for manufacturing synthetic fiber, steel bars, and aluminum foil.
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Ion Exchange Resins And Activated Carbons For Better-Tasting Water12/18/2013
For many, access to good-tasting tap water is limited, and buying bottled water can be expensive. Simple pour-through jug filters offer a low-cost and effective alternative. Activated carbons, in conjunction with ion exchange products, produce drinking water that is absent of all industrial pesticides and contaminants.
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Reduced Bore Electromagnetic Flowmeter10/29/2021
Being able to accurately measure both the quantity and rate of water passing through a water distribution system is crucial to gain an informed understanding of overall efficiency. As such, achieving a measurement that is exact as possible can have a significant impact on key areas. This includes supply planning, maintenance, resource deployment, leakage detection and the overall environment.
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Improved Determination Of Volatile Organic Compounds In Water By SPME And GC/MS6/21/2018
The analysis of water for volatile organic compounds is important due to their toxicity. The current methods for this determination lack of sensitivity, selectivity or capability for automation. This paper presents the new ISO 17943 Standard using Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) and GC/MS. The sample preparation by SPME enables limits of detection and easy automation of the whole method. GC/MS provides the required sensitivity and selectivity. This ISO Standard was validated by an interlaboratory trial, which results confirm the outstanding performance for this method.
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Simplify And Optimize Your Process With Level And Pump Control3/1/2022
Level controllers have evolved to meet today’s environmental challenges and industry demands. Learn how they support improved process management and, ultimately, a better bottom line.
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How To Read An Encoder9/13/2013
The HR-E LCD encoder has a 9-digit Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) to show consumption, flow and alarm information. The display automatically toggles between 9-digit and 6-digit consumption, rate of flow and meter model.
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A New Way Of Designing With Reverse Osmosis Membranes7/23/2015
Process design in water treatment is historically confined to proprietary or user-defined spreadsheets on a unit operation basis, with users manually adding results from each unit process upstream into the next operation.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Innovative self-cleaning high quality plastic filter for a wide variety of applications.
The Pulsa Series hydraulic diaphragm metering pumps was the foundation upon which Pulsafeeder was built. For over 70 years Pulsa Series hydraulic pumps have been synonymous with dependability, quality and precision engineering, and are still depended upon to provide years, even decades, of year round operation. Available with a variety of diaphragm styles to deliver everything from thin fluids to lime slurries, materials of construction for contact with the most hazardous chemicals and features and options to provide safe, remote and accurate dosing, count on Pulsa Series for the most demanding applications.
Looking for a Skid Mounted Complete Metering System, but your equipment room is short on space? The New CHEM-FEED CFCS is engineered for small spaces. It features a compact design and small footprint. The skid is constructed of tough, lightweight chemical and UV-resistant polyethylene, and it ships fully assembled with all necessary components for easy install and fast startup. Wall or Shelf Mount. One or Two Pump Models.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![businesswoman asking question in education event-GettyImages-2198836359]( "AMI Under The Microscope: Beaverton Water Division Answers Questions About Its AMI Transition")
Beaverton Water Division’s transition to Kamstrup AMI and acoustic leak detection is modernizing meter reading, reducing infrastructure costs, improving leak identification, and streamlining operations as deployment progresses.
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![Texas Flag-GettyImages-942623440]( "Meeting Demand, Ensuring Compliance: A Success Story In Executing Fast-Paced Water System Improvements In Missouri City, Texas")
Learn how the Mustang Bayou Service Area (MBSA) Water System Improvements project delivered a fast-tracked, multi-phase response to rapid development and critical capacity challenges in one of the Missouri City’s fastest-growing regions.
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![Legionella pneumophila-GettyImages-1451790531]( "Legionella And The Need For Next-Generation Detection: Steps Water Utilities Can Take To Alleviate The Risk")
As water systems grow more complex and climate patterns shift, Legionella is emerging as one of the most persistent and underestimated risks in the built environment. The threat to public health from Legionnaires' disease will likely further escalate unless decisive action is taken. -
![maasjackson]( "Metering as a Service Improves Jackson, MS, Water Infrastructure")
The city of Jackson faced a water crisis that went beyond the tap. What began as an ambitious plan to modernize its water metering infrastructure in 2014 became a logistical and financial nightmare, costing the city millions in lost revenue and declining public trust. Metering as a Service (MaaS) offered the city an alternative option. -
![leadpipeInground_Getty-2211014580]( "The Final Mile: The U.S. Simply Must Rush To Finish Its Critical Lead-Pipe Cleanup")
There has been an abundance of funding available to address the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the United States. So it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens. -
![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, And Savings")
This Q&A follows the Webinar: Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, & Savings hosted by Water Online on October 21, 2025. The webinar featured the leadership team from Beaverton Water Division as they discussed lessons learned across operations, billing, and customer service, offering a 360-degree perspective on implementing and managing an AMI system.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
The recoating of a potable water tank in Lancaster, PA, included an already tight timeframe and several challenges that cause delays.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.